New masthead, new times at PIM and The Capitol Report

Yes, indeed. Regular Politics in Minnesota readers will note we’ve changed our masthead.

The change reflects the beginning of a ton of change as we, along with our sister publication, the Saint Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report, retool for the changing information needs of our readers. Please keep me and Capitol Report Managing Editor Bill Clements posted on what you like — and what you don’t like — about what we’re doing.

We’re excited about providing our own unique blend of news coverage for theRepublican National Convention. Some of us are credentialed for theconvention. Some of us will be running all over town. And some of uswill be set up at the New Media Space nearby the Xcel, hosted by TheUptake.org. PIM’s team of Dan Feidt, Peter Bartz-Gallagher and Andy French, along with publisher Sarah Janecek, will join Capitol Report managing editor Clements, reporters Betsy Sundquist and Charley Shaw, photographer Bill Klotz, and Web Editor Adam Johnson. We’ll be posting at PoliticsInMinnesota.com (RSS feed is also available). We’re also beefing up our team with free-lancers Kevin Featherly and Frank Jossi.

And, we’re proud to announce that prominent Minnesota Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb of MinnesotaDemocratsExposed will blog for us, as well. Brodkorb is an elected delegate and we hope to have him blogging live from the convention floor.

We plan on posting news stories and our observations 24/7 as soon asthings start heating up, probably mid-to-late next week. For the bestinsider Minnesota political coverage, be sure to make www.politicsinminnesota.com part of your surfing routine.

Meanwhile, here are some news tidbits about the RNC. At Politics in Minnesota, we call them "Bits & Pieces" in our Weekly Reports.

Bits & Pieces: RNC Edition

As preparations downtown are in full swing for the RNC, we decided togo to the front lines and see how St. Paul is coping. At the very edgeof the vehicles-prohibited zone lies the world-famous Mickey’s Diner.Over a Lil’ Jill (grilled cheese with tomato and bacon, side of chili